What It’s Like Being the Only Intern at a Law Firm
I am about to finish my third year of law school and will soon enter my fourth. Lately, I have grown tired of everyone asking me the same question: “What do you want to practice after graduation?”
Honestly, I don’t know.
Whenever I find myself uncertain about a decision, I do what most people do — I try to be practical. I weigh my options, look for what makes sense, and convince myself that logic can somehow compensate for clarity. So, I searched and scrolled until my eyes drained, read about the market trends, and narrowed down a few areas that seemed promising: Intellectual Property, Arbitration, AI Regulation, Data Privacy, and, if I ever chose litigation, perhaps Family Law.
Then came the next step — internships.
At this point, I am practically breathing internship applications. I wake up and send emails. I send another while commuting. If I am sitting in the washroom, where people usually get creative ideas, I am busy wondering how to secure a good internship. Even my dreams have been hijacked. My subconscious, apparently, has decided that getting an internship is the only thing that will let me sleep peacefully. Lately, I have even started dreaming about receiving internship acceptance emails. My own brain is trying to compensate for reality. Funny, isn’t it?
This summer, I couldn’t secure one of those fancy, brand-name internships everyone seems to aspire to. For a while, I felt disappointed. But then I asked myself a question: What if I got into a prestigious place and couldn’t perform? What if I wasted the opportunity because I lacked the skills to make the most of it? I would really regret it.
So, I stopped chasing names and decided to invest myself somewhere else instead. As someone rightly said, “Kabil bano, KABIL!”. Hence, I decided to become kabil (competent) first.
I joined a trademark clinic under an advocate to learn from scratch. And guess what, I am the only intern there.
And because I am the only intern, I get all the work.
I also get all the appreciation when I do something well and all the scolding when I don’t. But somewhere between drafting replies, reading examination reports, and making mistakes, I realized something — I am actually learning.
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I am working on real-life cases. I receive feedback. I get corrected.
In many places, when there are several interns in a room, seniors naturally gravitate towards the person who can finish the task without too many questions or interruptions. It makes sense because everyone wants to save time and energy. There are certainly seniors who take the effort to discuss matters and involve interns in ongoing work, but most are simply too busy.
Being the only intern means there is no one else to pass the work to.
Or even the mistakes.
Which means there is no escaping criticism the either.
Ironically, on the days I get scolded the most, I am learning the most. Even though I feel terrible in those moments, I also feel privileged.
Because someone is taking the time to correct me.
And maybe, in a profession where everyone is obsessed with securing the perfect internship, I have stumbled upon something better. Not the most glamorous opportunity, but one that is teaching me how to become a better lawyer. Ironic, isn’t it?
My deadline’s approaching for my next submission. Hence, I shall take my leave before I get scolded again. Fingers crossed!
Saloni Srivastava
